Wondolowski wins MLS Player of the Month

San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was named MLS Player of the Month for October by the North American Soccer Reporters, his fourth time winning the award in 2012.

Wondolowski scored five goals in three games to tie the all-time MLS single season goals record and help the Earthquakes to their second Supporters’ Shield. He opened the month with a hat trick against the Colorado Rapids on Oct. 6 and tacked on game-tying goals against the LA Galaxy on Oct. 21 and the Portland Timbers on Oct. 27. Wondolowski finished the season with 27 goals, matching Roy Lassiter’s record set in 1996.

The honor is Wondolowski’s second consecutive and fourth of the season. He is the first player in MLS history to receive the accolade four times in the same season. Wondolowski has earned MLS Player of the Month recognition in each of the past three Octobers.

The Earthquakes won the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal, presented by Kaiser Permanente, 1-0 against the LA Galaxy Sunday night thanks to a 94th-minute goal from Victor Bernardez. San Jose will host LA on Wednesday at Buck Shaw Stadium (8 p.m. PT / ESPN2). The Earthquakes advance to the Western Conference Final with a win or tie. Overtime will be played if the series aggregate is tied at the end of regulation with a shootout to follow should the match remain tied.

Tickets for the home leg on Wednesday are sold out, but fans can secure a spot in the stadium by placing a $50 deposit on 2013 season tickets. For more information, visit www.sjearthquakes.com or call 408-556-7700.

The MLS Player of the Month is selected each month, and the MLS Player of the Week is selected each week, of the regular season by a panel of journalists from NASR. The group consists of members of print, television, radio and online media. More information and membership information can be found at http://www.soccerreporters.com/.